95-Acres-116 Megawatts -200 feet from residential
neighborhoods in Westchester & Putnam
By Dan Murphy
A plan to construct a 116-megawatt Lithium Battery storage facility on a 95-acre property on the Somers-Mahopac border has drawn opposition from residents in nearby neighborhoods, some as close as 200 feet from the proposed battery farm.
East Point Energy, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, has proposed constructing the facility on Miller Road in Mahopac, next to Baldwin Place in Somers,
on the Westchester County-Putnam County border. The facility would consist of battery enclosures, substations and two transformers.
A petition with more than 2100 signatures has been created by a group Stop the LITHIUM Battery Farm in our Backyards in Mahopac NY!! “There is a proposed lithium battery farm on Miller Road in Mahopac, NY. This project threatens to disrupt our peaceful neighborhood and poses significant risks to us all. Lithium batteries are known to pose fire risks due to their high energy density and the flammable electrolytes they contain (source: National Fire Protection Association). A fire at this proposed facility could have disastrous consequences for our homes and families. Furthermore, there’s a risk of contamination of local reservoirs and sewers from potential leaks or spills during manufacturing or storage processes (source: U.S Environmental Protection Agency). We urge local authorities in Putnam County to reconsider this proposal in light of these serious concerns. Our health should not be compromised for industrial progress. Please sign this petition if you stand with us against the proposed lithium battery farm on Miller Avenue,” end of petition, (change.org/p/stop-the-proposed-at-24-miller-road-mahopac-ny?source_location=search).
The proposal is currently before the Town of Carmel Planning Board. Because the property is located in Putnam County, it is the Town of Carmel that has lead agency status. Currently, the Town of Somers plays no formal role in the approval of this project.
But Somers Supervisor Robert Scorrano wrote a letter that the Town and the Somers Fire Department are “strongly opposed” to the project. “The project has sparked significant opposition and apprehension among the residents of Somers and Carmel…“As the neighboring town’s supervisor, the safety and well-being of the residents of Somers and Carmel must take precedence. The people’s questions, fears, and concerns must be addressed, and transparency must be provided to those seeking an understanding of why this project makes sense for the area.”
“The proposed facility is an enormous 116-megawatt battery storage system that will be one of the largest in the area if approved. The project site is situated in the Muscoot Reservoir drainage basin of New York City’s water supply, which means that any water quality impacts resulting from pollutant-laden runoff must be prevented or mitigated.
“One of the most significant concerns is the need for more adequate training available to firefighters when dealing with Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) fires,” he said. “The current approach is to let the fire burn while keeping the other units cool with water, as seen in the Warwick, N.Y., incident in 2023. This approach led to the fire smoldering for weeks, a worrying prospect for any community.”
What is troubling to some is the lack of public notification to a project of this size and impact on the community. East Coast went to the Carmel Town Board in September of 2023, but the public awareness to it did not begin until February of this year, when residents from Mahopac in Putnam County, and Somers in Westchester County, became aware of the project and began to inform the public.
This project would be 116 Megawatts. There are currently three other battery storage facilities in New York State. In Warwick, Lyme and East Hampton. According to published reports, there have been fires at all three facilities. And the battery size at the Mahopac location, 116 Megawatts, is 20 times larger than the East Hampton, (5 Megawatts), and 10 times larger than Warwick, (12 Megawatts). Another comparison is the 1 World Trade Center’s backup generator uses 8 megawatts of total power.
Many residents have been going to the Town of Carmel Board meetings. Carmel Supervisor Mike Cazzari said that the matter is currently before the Planning Board. But the Planning Board is reviewing the project and not taking public comment. The first chance for the public to comment will be at a hearing in May, TBD.
We spoke to three residents who have organized the opposition to the project and who live near the proposed battery farm. “The first thing we want to do is raise awareness. We were completely unaware of this project, which would be on our own block,” said Lauren Rosolen, whose property abuts the proposed battery farm in Mahopac.
“The company is out there making it seem that this is best for the community, but it doesn’t benefit the community in the least. The energy stored would not be provided to us. To say that it’s beneficial to us is insanity. The more we look into this, the more we are finding an attempt to get this done before the community was made aware of it.
At this point, the question is how do you fight a multi-million-dollar corporation. They are waiting for us to go away. But you can’t put this size of a project in the middle of a residential community.”
Somers resident Kevin O’Keefe lives on the Somers side of the proposed battery farm. “We have to focus on the facts and why the placement of this 116-Megawatt facility is the wrong place. If you put this out in the desert somewhere, ok. But not this close to a residential community.
O’Keefe raised several concerns.
1-The threat of fire and explosion. According to a consultant hired by East Coast, the best thing to do in case of a fire is to let it burn out, and do not attempt to douse it with water. “If the Somers Fire Department raised their concerns, why hasn’t the Mahopac Fire Department?”
2-Water contamination. “This property sits on top of a wetland. Where is the runoff water going to go? Will it run into the wetlands and streams and reservoirs? All of us have wells, how will this affect our well water?
3-Who will pay if our homes are contaminated from the smoke if there is a fire? Which insurance company will pay and who will get rid of the contamination in my house?
4-Depreciation of real estate values. “I wouldn’t buy my house if this project is built next to us. This is going to depreciate the values of our homes.”
“We are not looking to manipulate the planning board but to convince the planning board that this is just not the right place for it to be. Our group is very coordinated—most of us come from the 200-foot radius next door. We have created a Facebook page (facebook.com/groups/7723647000979958/) and we will be rallying on the Corner of Route 118 and Route 6-Olympic Diner. We want to make the residents aware. We are not going to stop until the Planning Board makes their decision,” said O’Keefe.
Somers resident Stephanie Azadian lives on Lounsbury Drive. “This project is 200 feet off my back yard. As a young mom, I don’t like to get involved in politics, but because this is a health and safety risk for my family, so I had to speak up.
“I found out about this in February and began sharing with my neighbors this proposal. In my opinion this has been kept under the rug and I am very upset with the lack of notification to the affected residents.
“We have two communities affected. I am in Somers and I’m relying on my friends in Mahopac to speak up. We are trying to figure out a way to stop this. It’s not a matter of if this will catch on fire but when. Smoke doesn’t discriminate, and everyone in this area will be affected. The facility in Warwick is much smaller, 12 Megawatts, and it burned for days. This has no place in a residential community.”
“The claim that the batteries are located in the middle of the property are not true. The batteries are 200 feet away from a major residential community and many popular surrounding businesses. We would encourage the community to become educated and get involved. If you have children in the Mahopac schools, they will be affected. Get educated and do your research,” said Azadian.
The group is in the process of hiring an attorney to determine their options, and are raising funds for that effort.
Currently, the proposal is before the Planning Board for site plan approval. It then has to go through approvals from the State Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC, and a number of local fire departments and highway departments.
The concept of Battery farms is to store electricity in the batteries collected during off peak hours, and then use the electricity during peak usage. Companies like East Coast want to buy the energy off peak and sell it back during peak hours. The goal is to make the grid cleaner, more reliable, resilient, and affordable. This battery farm would be connected to NYSEG.
While the concept is a good one, the size of this project, and its location, in between two large residential communities in Mahopac and Somers, raises concerns.
The project falls within the current zoning code in the Town of Carmel. The Town has not updated its Master Plan, which could have included limitations on battery farms like this.
Mahopac and Somers residents will be meeting at the corner of the Olympic Diner/ Route 6 Saturday, April 27th 9:00am-10:00am to raise awareness. And Look for the Yellow signs
